Electrosurgical adaptation techniques of energy modality for combination electrosurgical instruments based on shorting or tissue impedance irregularity

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of adapting energy modality due to a short circuit or tissue type grasped in the jaws of an end effector of a surgical instrument and a system with a control circuit configured to execute the method. The method includes determining a first and second electrode of an array of segmented electrodes are shorted to each other, blending monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes, and determining that the first and second electrodes remain shorted after the blending step. Additionally, or alternatively, the method may include determining that the first and second electrodes are no longer shorted after the blending step, sensing an electrical parameter of tissue grasped within jaws of the end effector, and determining an energy sealing and cutting procedure based on the sensed electrical parameter of the tissue.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 determining, by a control circuit, that a first electrode of an array of segmented electrodes is at least temporarily shorted to a second electrode in the array of segmented electrodes; 
 blending, by control circuit through an RF generator, monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes after determining that the first electrode is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode; and 
 determining, by the control circuit, that the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode in the array of segmented electrodes after blending the monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining, by the control circuit, that the first electrode is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode is based on a measured electrical parameter received by the control circuit after applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to the first electrode. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measured electrical parameter comprises any one of: impedance, tissue impedance, current, power, or voltage, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein blending comprises adjusting, by the control circuit, a power level of the monopolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter and a power level of the bipolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein blending comprises adjusting, by the control circuit, a percentage of the monopolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter and a percentage of the bipolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sub-therapeutic electrical signal is configured to differentiate between a shorted electrode and low impedance tissue grasped in jaws of an end effector. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 switching, by the control circuit, output energy between monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrode while the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode in the array of segmented electrodes. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining, by the control circuit, that the first electrode is not shorted to any other electrode in array of segmented electrodes; and 
 sensing, by the control circuit, an electrical parameter of tissue grasped within jaws of an end effector. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , comprising determining, by the control circuit, tissue type based on the sensed electrical parameter of the tissue. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , comprising:
 determining, by the control circuit, an energy sealing and cutting procedure based on the tissue type; and 
 applying, by the control circuit, the determined energy sealing and cutting procedure to the tissue. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein blending comprises applying, by the control circuit, the monopolar RF energy to a subset of shorted electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes as a group and applying, by the control circuit, the bipolar RF energy to a subset of non-shorted electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes as a group. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein blending comprises applying, by the control circuit, the monopolar RF energy and/or the bipolar RF energy to a subset of electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes individually. 
     
     
       13. A surgical instrument, comprising:
 an end effector comprising a first and second jaw configured to grasp tissue therebetween, and an array of segmented electrodes coupled to the first and/or second jaw; 
 a control circuit coupled to the array of segmented electrodes, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
 determine that a first electrode of the array of segmented electrodes is at least temporarily shorted to a second electrode of the array of segmented electrodes; 
 blend monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes after determining that the first electrodes is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode; and 
 determine that the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode after blending the monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The surgical instrument of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the control circuit is configured to determine that the first electrode is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode based on a measured electrical parameter received by the control circuit after applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to the first electrode, and 
 wherein the measured electrical parameter comprises any one of: impedance, tissue impedance, current, power, or voltage, or any combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       15. The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein to blend the monopolar and bipolar RF energy, the control circuit is configured to adjust a power level of the monopolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter and adjust a power level of the bipolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter. 
     
     
       16. The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein to blend the monopolar and bipolar RF energy, the control circuit is configured to adjust a percentage of the monopolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter and adjust a percentage of the bipolar RF energy applied to the first electrode based on the measured electrical parameter. 
     
     
       17. The surgical instrument of  claim 13 , wherein the control circuit is configured to switch output energy between monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrode while the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode in the array of segmented electrodes. 
     
     
       18. The surgical instrument of  claim 13 , wherein to blend the monopolar and bipolar RF energy, the control circuit is configured to apply the monopolar RF energy to a subset of shorted electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes as a group and apply the bipolar RF energy to a subset of non-shorted electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes as a group. 
     
     
       19. The surgical instrument of  claim 13 , wherein to blend the monopolar and bipolar RF energy, the control circuit is configured to apply the monopolar RF energy and/or the bipolar RF energy to a subset of electrode segments in the array of segmented electrodes individually. 
     
     
       20. A surgical instrument, comprising:
 an end effector comprising a first and second jaw configured to grasp tissue therebetween, and an array of segmented electrodes coupled to the first and/or second jaw; 
 a control circuit coupled to the array of segmented electrodes, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
 determine that a first electrode of the array of segmented electrodes is at least temporarily shorted to a second electrode of the array of segmented electrodes; 
 blend monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes after determining that the first electrodes is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode; 
 determine that the first electrode is not shorted to the second electrode after blending monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes; 
 sense an electrical parameter of tissue grasped within the jaws of the end effector; and 
 determine an energy sealing and cutting procedure based on the sensed electrical parameter.